EU Commissioner Piebalgs in Washington to relaunch the Development dialogue with the USA and to attend the World Bank Development Committee Meeting

On 25th April, EU Commissioner for Development, Andris Piebalgs, will be in Washington to relaunch the EU US development dialogue and cooperation, after a 12 year break. Three areas of action have been identified: food security, climate change and the Millennium Development Goals. On the same day, Commissioner Piebalgs will attend the annual World Bank Development committee Meeting.

European Commissioner for Development, Andris Piebalgs, said: "As the two biggest donors worldwide, the EU, with over half of global aid, and the US, with around a quarter devote around € 68 billion a year together for development purposes. I’m confident that this renewed dialogue will help to make the difference in the fight against poverty. International financial organisations are also key players. At a time of crisis we have to act jointly to ensure concrete progress against hunger and climate change and get back on track with the Millennium Development Goals. Those are global challenges calling for global answers.”

During the EU-US development ministerial meeting (High Level Consultative Group on Development), Commissioner Piebalgs will meet with its counterpart, the USAID Administrator, Dr Ravij Shah and Ms Soraya Rodriguez Ramos, Spanish Secretary of State for International Cooperation, who will represent the EU Presidency.

The focus of this renewed dialogue will be:

The Millennium Development Goals,

Food security

Climate change

Ministers are expected to endorse roadmaps for cooperation on these 3 issues over the next two years, to ensure that the two biggest aid donors act closer together to help developing countries in these strategic sectors.

Commissioner Piebalgs will also attend the ministerial World Bank Development Committee Meeting during the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings. He will present the European Commission action plan to get back on track with the Millennium Development Goals ahead of the UN MDG Summit in September.

Background:

At the EU-US Summit in November 2009, leaders decided to re-launch the EU-US development dialogue and cooperation process – after an inactive period of 12 years.

Leaders also decided to hold annual meetings at ministerial level to advance and guide transatlantic cooperation at policy level as well as the achievement of results in the field.

The IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings are taking place in Washington from 24th to 25th April.